The Merchants Fund Stabilization Grant

The CO-100 is an annual small business recognition program administered by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, open to for-profit U.S. businesses with fewer than 250 employees and under $20 million in annual revenue. 100 businesses are selected as honorees across 10 categories including Growth Accelerators, Community Champions, Tech Innovators, and others. From those 100, 10 Top Honorees are chosen, and one is named America's Top Small Business of the Year. The grand prize winner receives $25,000 cash. Each of the 10 Top Honorees receives $2,000 cash. The remaining 90 honorees receive a one-year U.S. Chamber of Commerce membership (valued at $250). Applicants compete across up to five categories and are judged in three rounds on open-ended questions, multiple choice assessments, and digital presence.

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) is offering grants to support the development of new and existing cooperatives in Wisconsin, with a goal of fostering the success of current and future cooperatives by supporting planning and exploratory research in advance of making a large investment. WEDC has set aside up to $200,000 for each of the next two years, with a $50,000 maximum per grant. Applicants may use the funds to cover consulting fees for business planning, feasibility studies, legal services, and accounting services to help new or existing cooperatives become established or further develop.

The Backing Small Businesses grant program, supported by American Express, provides support to locally significant small businesses with community reach. The program provides grants of $10,000 to fund projects that promote sustainable growth, enhance long-term resilience, and increase local impact.

This funding opportunity is part of a suite of NOFOs within the NIH HEAL Initiative to support the development of safe, effective, and non-addictive therapeutics to treat pain. The goal is to encourage initial translational efforts that will support a drug discovery program and advance projects to the point where they meet the entry criteria for the Pain Therapeutics Development Program. The scope will therefore be focused on development of assays to support a distinct testing funnel, screening efforts to identify hits, and initial characterization of hits and potential therapeutic agents (including small molecules, biologics, and natural products).

The NORA Façade RENEW Plus Program provides commercial property owners and business tenants located along priority commercial corridors in New Orleans with matching reimbursement grants to fund high-quality exterior façade improvements that reduce visible blight and align properties with current design standards. Administered by the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA) and funded through the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, the grant covers 85 percent of total eligible project costs, with the applicant responsible for the remaining 15 percent. Grant amounts scale with the size of the property: NORA funds up to $50,000 per 50 linear feet of eligible ground-floor commercial frontage, meaning larger properties can qualify for substantially higher reimbursements (for example, a property with 74 linear feet of frontage may qualify for up to $100,000 in reimbursable improvements). Eligible applicants include commercial property owners and business tenants with property owner consent, all of whom must be in good standing with the City of New Orleans and the Louisiana Secretary of State, have no outstanding taxes, liens, or municipal debts, and must not be debarred from receiving federal assistance. The program is geographically targeted to specific corridors in the Lower Ninth Ward (St. Claude Avenue from the Industrial Canal to the Parish Line) and New Orleans East (designated stretches of Bullard Avenue, Crowder Boulevard, Downman Road, Lake Forest Boulevard, and Read Boulevard). Funded improvements must be exterior façade work that follows HDLC Commercial Design Guidelines, and selected applicants are required to work with a NORA-designated architect to develop the project design, obtain two detailed construction estimates from licensed contractors, and provide proof of funds for the required match before construction begins. The grant is reimbursement-based, with NORA verifying completed work through inspection before disbursing approved costs. All projects carry a minimum five-year compliance period, during which funded improvements must be maintained in good condition and the project location must remain in active commercial use.